Chapter LXII

                                    

                                          

Caressing his satiated stomach, Aarav burped softly as he basked in the afternoon sun's warmth on a mat on his terrace. His plans to laze around immediately rested when Krishna's excited voice called for him.
Hopping towards the boundary wall in blitheful joy Aarav found his friends from the neighborhood waiting for him right outside the old iron bars of his home.
"HURRY UP! AARAV!!" yelled a boy,
"And bring your bat too. My brother broke mine yesterday!!" yelled another boy in apparent annoyance, standing beside Krishna,
Eagerly bobbing his head, the little boy hopped down the stairs earning a loud rebuke to be careful from Bhagyashree who sat downstairs in the living room with Kusumlata, having a hearty conversation over piping hot tea.
"Don't worry Grandma, I'll be just fine!!" yelled back Aarav, 
Shaking her head in dismay, Bhagyashree turned to Kusumlata who gave a loving smile in little Aarav's direction.  
"That little brat only fears his maa!!" Bhagyashree grumbled, "He takes Radha's absence as his ultimate pass to go rowdy,"
"Let him live his childhood, Bhagyashree. These are his golden years. Don't you miss your childhood years?" Kusumlata spoke gently,
Upon hearing that Bhagyashree heaved a wistful sigh. After all, even she missed playing around in the fields of her village all day long. What would she not give to have those wonderful days back?
To roam the streets of her village again like the little girl she once used to be. To dive into the vast Lake again.  To be so carefree again.
"You say right Kusum. But over the years I've turned into a complete worrywart, which sometimes irks me too," Bhagyashree lamented tiredly,
"That you are! A worrywart!" Kusumlata gave a soft chuckle before taking a small sip, "You're blessed to have children who wear their hearts on their sleeves Bhagyashree. They're such honest and truthful children that I can't help but love them even more,"
"Radha has raised them wonderfully," Bhagyashree gloated at the praise,
"That she has," Kusumlata agreed with a light nod, "I wish my Eklavya was more like that. Simple and honest with his feelings," she whispered wistfully,
"That would've made your job easier," Bhagyashree mused,
"True that. It would've saved me a whole lot of time guessing what was running inside his clever brain," Kusumlata added then thinking about her grandson continued, "My Eklavya... he's a special child... beneath all his irreverence and apathy lies a heart of gold that he refuses to show to anyone..."
Bhagyashree held her silence, letting Kusumlata speak her heart,
"In the initial days, I used to grapple hard with how to approach both the children. In behavior, the brothers are poles apart. On one hand, Rudra is a cheerful lad and on the other Eklavya embodies an ever-brooding personality. Much like Vikrant's Pita ji..."
Bhagyashree remembered the tall and stoic frame of the Chauhan patriarch. He was a man of lesser words and mostly used to respond with irritated huffs and grunts. She'd often wondered how a tender flower named Meera even bloomed in his courtyard.
The late Chauhan patriarch was a callous man and often kindled fear in the hearts of others with his single glance.
"An irony it was. The child he'd refused to spare a glance at was the one who embodied him the most." Kusumlata gave a sardonic laugh as Bhagyashree continued looking at her,